Known as the Harajuku of Taipei, 西門町 (Ximending), one of the most popular destination for tourists boasts a variety of shops such as apparels, beauty, restaurants, clubs and bars. Located at the historic Wanhua District, Ximending was founded during the Japanese colonisation era as a recreation district, and today it has grown into a cultural icon with inspiration drawn from its Japanese roots. Other than being a popular hangout and shopping spot, Ximending is home to many incredible food and snacks.
Without further ado, these are my 5 must eats in Ximending. And not forgetting 永和豆漿 and JSP 甲尚宝小吃店 which I've mentioned here!
马辣顶级麻辣鸳鸯火锅 (Mala Hotpot)
Address
台北市萬華區（西門町）西寧南路62號2樓
2nd Floor, No.62 Xining South Road, Wanhua
Getting There
西門 (Ximen) Station (Green / Blue), Exit 6
Head north on 中華路一段 toward 峨眉街
Turn left onto 峨眉街
Turn right onto 西寧南路 and destination on the left
When it comes to hotpot, there is always a saying, the more the merrier! A wide variety is always welcomed regardless of meat, seafood, vegetables etc. 马辣顶级麻辣鸳鸯火锅 is a reputable hotpot buffet restaurant that is all around Taipei. Costing not more than SGD30 per pax, you will be overwhelmed with what they got to offer! You get a whole selection of freshly prepared seafood (fish, squid, prawns, flower crabs, clams, mussels, scallops etc), quality meat, vegetables, mushrooms, balls, noodles, tofu, and many more!
Credits x
And not forgetting desserts, this is probably the first hotpot restaurant which I came across with a wide array of desserts. Cakes, fruits, 16 selections of Haagen-Dazs ice-cream and 8 different flavours of Movenpick ice-cream. And it's free-flow!
Upon entering the restaurant, I was like, I need to have a bit of everything!
Just to name a few types of meat that are available:
- Australian Lamb Tendon
- Angus Beef
- Short Loin
- New Zealand Loin
- Black Pig Pork Shoulder (Kurobuta)
The beverages are also something worth mentioning, it varies from canned drinks, juices, Twinings tea, coffee to alcoholic beverages!
I've got no complaints on this place except the time limit to dine, I supposed all the diners are spoilt for choices, especially for first timers like us, we were eager to try everything! The variety here can definitely match up to many other hotpot buffets and for less than SGD30, dining here is no doubt a steal. The ambiance, service, food selection and quality is out of the world.
* Due to its popularity, do make a reservation first as the restaurant is always full house.
Address
台北市萬華區漢中街121-1號
No. 121-1 Hanzhong St, Wanhua District, Taipei City, Taiwan 108
Getting There
西門 (Ximen) Station (Green / Blue), Exit 6
I'm sure many of us love fried chicken, and it's a craze in Taiwan. There's a new fried chicken outlet in Ximending that is taking over the world, kidding, that's quite exaggerating but there is always a crazy long queue at the store as soon as the stall starts operating.
Imagine the pipping hot deep fried bite-sized marinated chicken served to your hands, there is nothing not to love about the asian style chicken nuggets. Coated in a crispy and crunchy batter, deep-fried to golden perfection and sprinkled with chili powder, every bite is bursting with flavours. Despite being deep fried, the meat did not become tough or dry, it remained juicy and tender. These mini bites are so addictive.
Also, the stall sells fried squid, mushrooms and a few variants of beverages.
Address
108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, 萬華區峨嵋街49號
Getting There
西門 (Ximen) Station (Green / Blue), Exit 6
Head north on 漢中街 toward 峨眉街6巷
Turn left onto 峨眉街
Turn right onto 武昌街二段50巷 and destination on the right
Located in an alley, this stall's Grilled Japanese Mochi has captured the hearts of both tourists and locals. Placing it on the grill with high heat, the skewered mochi will be grilled till it has a nice golden outer coat. Thereafter, it will be brilliantly matched with a wide array of sweet (chocolate, condensed milk etc) or savoury sauce (cheese, seaweed etc) of your choice. The unconventional flavours like teriyaki and curry are pretty interesting!
Opted for the cheese flavoured which was drenched in condensed milk and topped with parmesean cheese flakes. Freshly grilled upon ordering, the impressively puffy stick of golden-brown grilled mochi was incredible, warm and crispy on the outside, soft and chewy in the inside. It felt a little like barbecued marshmallow. The 5 to 10 minutes wait for this was pretty worth it. You've to try this yourself.
王子起士马铃薯 (Prince Cheese Potato)
Just 2 stalls away from the mochi stall, you'll find another line to join.
And it's something that I guess everyone will never get sick of.
Prince Cheese Potato! Everyone loves potato and cheese, so when you combine them together, its a champion dish.
Potato stuffed with a whole lot of toppings and drench in nacho cheese sauce, so good! Got the combo one which consists the most ingredients - bacon bits, ham, broccoli, pineapple, corn, egg and tuna. One of this can fill me to the brim. If you're not consuming on the spot, let the stall assistant know and they will pack the sauce for you separately. And I actually forgot to take a photo of the potato with the cheese sauce...
Address
No. 8, Emei St, 萬華區台北市 Taiwan 108
Getting There
西門 (Ximen) Station (Green / Blue), Exit 6
Head north on 中華路一段 toward 峨眉街
Turn left onto 峨眉街 and destination on the left
Never leave Ximending without a steaming bowl of mee sua from the well-known Ah Zong Mian Xian. It can get a little tedious to locate the shop cause it's at the back of Ximending but just look out for a big group of people crowding at a store front busily slurping away.
This familiar white, green and red bowl of goodness needs no further introduction, the heavenly slippery smooth mee sua with chewy stewed pig intestine's cooked in rich and flavourful bonito broth.
There is always a queue, so be prepared to wait in line. But the wait is definitely worth it.
This small bowl of mee sua filled me up to the brim. Don't hold back on the self-service chili, vinegar and minced garlic. The mee sua would taste different without these condiments. It was really satisfying with a burst of flavours in your mouth.
阿川加热卤味 (Braised Food)
Address
108, Taiwan, Taipei City, Wanhua District, 峨嵋街52號
Grab a basket, load your favorites from a wide array of yong tau foo ingredients, noodles, tofu and vegetables from the push cart stall. The whole lot will be chopped, boiled in a savory broth. If you are adventurous enough, add in pig blood or duck blood, something that you won't get in Singapore.
Be prepared to gain some weight with all these mouth watering food ;)
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